A Matter Of Wealth
by Sherian
Summary: Erik has been praying to God that this day will end from the moment it started, who would say that one day of Valentine's could be so especially frightening? (An Entry for the Phantom's Valentine One-Shot Contest)


Hello, everybody! :)  
This is my contribution to the fandom for Valentine's Day and also for the IFD, (Yes, I killed to 2 birds with one stone, hahaha.)  
My beta is very busy with her university. :P, so I'm afraid this will have several spelling/grammar mistakes.  
If you find one it'd be very kind if you write it to me. Thank you. 3

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The celebration of "Valentine" came for first time to Paris a handful of years ago, it was dispersed quickly among the nobles but it hadn't yet spread among the plebeians and the lower classes, it wasn't surprising that the nobles made extravagant parties in its honor. This year was no exception, all out talk of the great banquet that would serve in the estate of the Chagny's mansion as hosts of the party. That celebration said some were magnificent and Christine could have been enjoying it, the young woman might be enjoying the company of the Parisian nobility, mingling with the richest and most powerful people in the whole country but nevertheless, she wasn't, she was comfortably reloaded on a couch in his living room.

Christine had spent all day with him since the sun came up, so far at this very moment, he had hoped she had invented any kind of excuse to finish her class fast and that she would ask him immediately bring her to the surface, however, as soon as the minutes and hours passed; she didn't seem eager to retire, at the end of the afternoon he knew that somehow attending wouldn't be among her plans.

Something inside of him was filled with true happiness, she has decided to decline his offer! but that overwhelming happiness didn't last long, perhaps she has lost track of time, -which it wasn't surprising because there isn't any device to calculate the time- In case, is that if Christine ignored the purpose or not that it was the party today, Erik made no effort to remind her, actually he strongly tried not to mention anything related to it.

It had been easy at first, the music lessons occupied most of the time, and even there was a lapse in which he also forgot the passing of the minutes. It was only until he heard Christine's stomach growl loud enough, he knew it must be late already. But how _does he tell to Christine that? How to avoid mentioning the word time in that statement?_

"Darling, I think that's enough for today" sensible and direct, just what Erik needed.

While they ate, he kept quiet waiting that terrifying day finally ended, the days before this, they had been the same or even worse of concerns watching her carefully where she headed each time she left the opera fearing that she would ever divert her way back and would go to some store with the intention of buying a dress. Luckily there was nothing strange in her routine, yesterday Christine had gone to Sunday Mass and also left flowers to her father's grave, that was all.

It was one afternoon when the start of his grief had begun, that terrifying object has been waiting for him resting on the little table near Christine's bed, it was an envelope, - this had already been opened and Erik found no problem to read its contents, - it wasn't a love letter but an invitation to a party and also a reservation for a dance. This had already been read, however, Erik threw the letter into the fire in the hope that like the paper, the date and even the existence of it disappeared inside Christine's mind.

Erik wasn't stupid, he knew that the viscount wouldn't miss such an opportunity to show Christine what it meant to be by his side, a life in society, luxuries and privileges he could never give her, and also, he could slowly introduce her into his circle of acquaintances, friends, and also present her to his brother, the count, she would be dazzled by the jewels, the dresses and before what a cock crows Christine would leave him. That thought made him ill, but his good Christine had rejected him, he had won!, and so he wanted to cook him a fine dinner, to serve him a good glass of the most expensive wine, and even to go to the park together; but he could not do it because if she looked at the sky lit by the fireworks she would realize that everything she had lost to spend all day with him.

So, after enjoying dinner, they simply sat in the room of Luis-Philip, enjoying each other's company. Erik blinked, realizing she was inches from him, studying him carefully. How long had she been standing in front of him without his noticing?

"Is something wrong, dear?" He asked her, making a superhuman effort to control his nerves, his heart pounding was afraid which would probably follow, she somehow remembered it.

"It's nothing bad, just ... I just want to dance with you, Erik." Christine said so faintly that she seemed to be a child again. "Please."

He couldn't deny any of her requests including this, without answering absolutely nothing he taking off from his seat and randomly placed a disc in the gramophone. She smiled at the melody and put one of her hands on his thin shoulder. His body tensed had been few the occasions he had been able to enjoy such an intimate moment with his Christine.

"Thank you, Erik for dinner and dancing, I really enjoyed it." Her voice was sincere. "Do you know what day Erik is today?" She asked as she reloaded her head on his chest and her steps became slower and slower.

His feet suddenly stopped. What should he do? Must he tell her the truth? Erik wanted to lie to her, but he did not dare to do so for fear of ruining everything again. "Today is February 14, my dear," he said it, knowing that she would leave, he put his head in her golden curls and smelled her hair because maybe it would be the last time that he could make it.

"14?" She murmured. Yes, this was just what he feared, all he needed was to let her go to so that she would disappear. "Happy Valentine's Day!, Erik". And without the slightest intention of leaving, they remained like this for a long, long time, enjoying that moment that no one else would understand.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Christine."

She could have been, at this moment, at the mansion of the Chagny, listening to a dazzling melody played by a renowned orchestra and dancing proudly with the viscount; however, she wasn't; she was here with him, not with the viscount, she was holding her own hand against his.

He looked at her to eyes and he knew it, Christine had not forgotten the dance, she had made her choice, she had chosen to spend this day with him, she had chosen him over everything else, over the luxuries, over cost gifts even over very same the viscount and for a moment he thought he was a more important and rich _even handsome_ man than Chagny because he had something the viscount didn't have tonight, he had his Christine next to him.

/

I hope you liked it and also, I hope that you didn't give diabetes after of read it. XD  
Thank you for reading!


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